Sales of goods and services are typically made using traditional ordering techniques. For instance, a potential buyer reviews goods or services from multiple providers, and then the potential buyer places an order based on a particular seller's quality, price, location or the like. One known method for ordering a product or service is initiating the process by electronic means, such as a text message.
Many of these systems require that certain preferences be predetermined. For example, if a customer desires a taxi, the customer can electronically contact the taxi company with a predetermined destination such as “home”. The drawback in the current example is that the customer cannot choose a new location during the ordering process other than one which was predetermined and already provided to the taxi company. In another example, food may be ordered in a similar manner. The customer may set up a profile with the food provider. Later, when the customer wants to electronically order the food, electronic contact is made, and the preset order is processed.
Typically when a customer sends an order for a particular product or service, the order is sent directly to the company as the provider. In an example such as this, a customer desires a taxi; the customer sends a request to a particular taxi company for a car. The operator then will make a determination as to the best taxi for the customer based upon their particular fleet. The drawback to this method is that the customer is limited to the single, particular taxi company which may not have the best available taxi available for that customer as compared to a competitor. If a customer wants to pick from multiple taxi companies, then the customer must know contact information for all different providers and must contact them individually. Another drawback for this system is that there must be an operator involved; therefore the system requires the cost of an operator to make the decision and communicate to the taxi driver.
A system choosing from multiple providers may also involve a call center or operator who chooses a provider for the customer's request. For example, a customer desires a tow truck and sends an electronic message to a towing service. The towing service then uses a call center to call various operators of tow trucks to find which truck can respond. The drawback of this system is the need for additional labor to make phone calls, and the potential for the address to be not communicated clearly to the different tow truck drivers depending on the person making the call and the person receiving the call.
A common method of allocating the location for the product or service to be delivered involves locating the customer's address based on the GPS unit on the mobile phone. In an example such as this, a taxi driver would be dispatched to the location where the customer is currently located once the request for service is sent. The drawback in this system is that the customer may not want to have the taxi in that current location. The customer could desire for the taxi to be waiting at a later time or at a different location. In a similar example, a customer may order some goods to be delivered to a particular location and not want them sent to where the customer is located based on a GPS system. Systems using a GPS as a locator cannot handle this type of request.
A practice in electronic text messaging or an SMS based system involves using abbreviations or other type of notations that convey a request in a method that is understandable by the sender. For example, a customer sends an order for flowers to be delivered to a particular address using a notation of the letter “S” to designate the “South”. The receiver on the end may not interpret this correctly and the flowers are sent to an incorrect address. Another practice in electronic text messaging based systems is not providing complete information. For example, a customer sends an order for food items to be delivered to a desired location and the customer omits sending a postal code or city. The ordering system may not be able to complete the order correctly without the missing information.
Other methods involving ordering services or goods involve transferring the funds during the ordering process to a third party intermediary. For example, when ordering a food item, the customer will be billed by their mobile phone carrier for the price of the item. The provider then must have an account with the carrier and collect the funds from said carrier. Using a third party creates a drawback by requiring an extra step in the transaction and creating the potential for complications if an order is not processed correctly.
Prior ordering techniques have many short comings. The present invention addresses many of these short comings to provide an improved system for purchasing goods and services.